MEN CAN CREATING CULTURES FREE FROM VIOLENCE STOP RAPE INC

MEN CAN CREATING CULTURES FREE FROM VIOLENCE STOP RAPE INC

Men Can Stop Rape Core Values View Men Positively: We believe all men have the capacity and desire to play a positive role in creating communities free from violence. As part of this belief, we assert that it is essential to approach men as potential allies rather than only as potential perpetrators. Further, in order for men to have empathy for themselves and women, we all must embrace and be comfortable with the full range of emotion in men that is authentically human. Uphold Gender Equity: We believe that men s violence against women cannot be prevented without the parallel goal of gender justice. All systems of oppression, including the system of oppression against women and girls, foster cultures of violence. Therefore, men must join with women as allies in creating an equitable and just world for all genders in order to end men s violence against women. Focus on Prevention: We aim to stop violence before it ever happens by helping men never act in violent or inequitable ways in their treatment of women and each other. Instead of helping women reduce their risk of being victims of men s violence, we focus on helping men use their strength in positive ways in all of their relationships. Practice Non-Violence: We build on shared strength, not on strength over others. We help men learn healthy ways to express anger and the full range of emotions men are taught to suppress, and to recognize the vital role they play in creating violence-free cultures. Challenge Assumptions: We intentionally bring edginess to the conversation about men s violence against women in order to challenge long held beliefs about appropriate behavior. We help men and boys to value the uncomfortable and to grow in their self-awareness and attitudes. Connect Oppressions: Our work is not just about real and perceived differences in gender, but it is also deeply connected to racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, religious intolerance, and other oppressions that make everyone vulnerable to victimization. Attend to Process: We believe the journey to learning and decision-making is as important as the chance for men to be understood and to feel safe in working with and embracing new concepts and ideas. Act as Role Models and Leaders: We provide opportunities to model behaviors that give men an alternative to violence. As men develop and maintain positive relationships with women and each other, they model that behavior for their peers.

General Information Men need support out there and they don t seem to be getting it from the right places. [MCSR] seems to be the right place. Janet Timmerman, Safe Kids Men Can Stop Rape, Inc. (MCSR) is an international organization that mobilizes men to use their strength for creating cultures free from violence, especially men s violence against women. MCSR provides agencies, schools, and organizations with direct services for youth, public service messaging, and leadership training. A World Leader. Since its inception in 1997, MCSR has led the call to redefine masculinity and male strength as part of preventing men s violence against women. In 2007, MCSR was named the United States Changemakers winner in the competition to identify the world s most innovative domestic violence prevention programs, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. MCSR in the Media. Appearances in high profile national and international media such as CNN, The New York Times, O, The Oprah Magazine, The Washington Post, USA Today, Cosmopolitan, and Christian Science Monitor have bolstered MCSR s reputation as a catalyst of social change. public education messaging, and leadership training together constitute a unified and comprehensive campaign that has been launched in states and cities around the country. Landmark National Conference. On April 14 and 15, 2009, MCSR hosted and 55 organizations co-sponsored the first National Conference on the Primary Prevention of Men s Violence Against Women. For two days more than 300 people attended inspiring keynotes and cutting edge workshops focused on the theme, Men and Women as Allies. Featured keynote presenters included actress Rosario Dawson; Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards (D-MD); filmmaker Byron Hurt; Ritu Sharma, Executive Director of Women Thrive Worldwide; and Catherine Pierce, Acting Director of the Office on Violence Against Women. The Strength Campaign. In contrast to traditional efforts that address men as the problem, MCSR s pioneering Strength Campaign embraces men as vital allies with the will and character to make healthy choices and foster safe, equitable relationships. Our youth development programming,

Youth Development Men of Strength Club should be mandatory in high school. Erwin, 17, Men of Strength Club Member THE MEN OF STRENGTH CLUB An Overview. Since 2000, the Men of Strength (MOST) Club the premier primary prevention program for male youth in the country has provided high school age young men with a structured and supportive space to learn about healthy masculinity and redefine male strength. Each year-long, multi-session Club builds members ability to translate their learning into community leadership. Public Action. Community Strength Projects allow MOST Club members to translate curriculum lessons into public action and peer education. Under the guidance of adult facilitators, Club members develop, execute, and evaluate the success of their own projects, uniting a wide cross-section of students, parents, educators, administrators, and business leaders. A Club on the Move. In 2007, Men Can Stop Rape decided to build on the MOST Club s long and storied history in Washington, DC, by initiating Strong Moves, the largest city-wide prevention effort of its kind in the country. With enthusiastic support from students, parents, educators, school administrators, and government officials, MCSR established a Club in all 16 DC public high schools. MCSR recognizes the need to go younger. In 2008-2009, MOST Club will provide middle school age boys with a structured and supportive space to learn about healthy masculinity. A National Network. A national MOST Club network is growing quickly with sites established in the District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and California and strong interest in other states. Club Members as Spokespersons. The commitment of veteran Club members is exceptional. They have become spokespersons for healthy masculinity and prevention in their schools and the culture at large. MOST Club members took part in the Advisory Board for the National Teen Dating Violence Prevention Initiative, a project of the American Bar Association. Each year since 2005, members have appeared on national talk radio shows to address men s role in preventing domestic violence as part of Liz Claiborne Inc. and Redbook magazine s It s Time to Talk Day. A Spotlight on the Club. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified the MOST Club as among the top four gender violence prevention programs in the country and initiated a project to evaluate the Club s impact. The Ms. Foundation for Women honored a MOST Club member with the first Gloria Award ever given for efforts focusing on young men. The National Crime Prevention Council profiled the Men of Strength Club as one of our nation s most promising 50 Strategies to Prevent Violent Domestic Crime.

Public Education Men Can Stop Rape runs a stunning media campaign aimed at men and boys using the slogan My strength is not for hurting. Kristen Ohlsen from O, The Oprah Magazine STRENGTH MEDIAWORKS Unique Messaging. Strength Mediaworks, Men Can Stop Rape, Inc. s innovative public education campaign, has inspired men around the world to declare My Strength Is Not for Hurting. Mediaworks groundbreaking messaging consists of men role modeling healthy choices and behaviors, associating strength with character and integrity. From bus shelters in our nation s capital to billboards and movie theaters across California to public health clinics in South Africa, Strength Mediaworks PSAs have reached hundreds of thousands of men with their compelling visuals and positive messages. Young Men Get Strength. Young men clearly understand the value and meaning of strength communicated through Strength Mediaworks, evident in these responses to Mediaworks posters: In most relationships, the guy is more powerful, so his strength shouldn t be for hurting her. It should be for caring for her. His strength is not physical how he can overpower her but mental, how he knows what s right and what s not. And when to stop. Men can be stronger than women at times. But you don t use your power for bad. You do what the women want, you respect their decision. Mediaworks Milestones. Professionals, agencies, and organizations in all 50 states and in 15 countries have displayed Strength Mediaworks posters. Organizations and agencies have licensed a wide range of customized Strength Mediaworks materials for regional use, including billboards, banners, transit ads, still and animated movie-theater ads, posters, postcards, clings, key chains, and T-shirts. In an historical licensing agreement, MCSR has been hired to create Mediaworks designs and video PSAs for the U.S. Department of Defense to be distributed to every U.S. military base worldwide. Other recent licensees include the Virginia Department of Health, the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and Engender Health in South Africa.

Training and Technical Assistance I want to stress how empowered and hopeful I feel. I now know that I can do this work, and I ve never had confidence in my ability to work with males before. Josh Truitt, Hampshire College STRENGTH TRAININGS Strength Trainings and Support Countrywide. From Vermont to Florida, from North Carolina to Alaska, Men Can Stop Rape has trained more than 9,000 youth-serving professionals and provided technical assistance to more than 200 agencies and organizations. We give guidance and resources to government agencies, rape crisis centers, women s shelters, state coalitions, the military, and other community-based organizations and institutions. Our Strength Trainings are based on sound theories and effective exercises that professionals can use to increase young men s awareness of the harms associated with traditional masculinity and to offer them positive, healthy alternatives. From Theory to Practice Strength Trainings. Twice a year, every January and July, professionals travel from as far away as Hawaii, Canada, and Scotland to attend MCSR s three-day From Theory to Practice training in Washington, DC our most in depth, comprehensive, and engaging Strength Training. Participants have reported increased awareness, skills, and confidence, and many have described the experience as life-changing. MCSR s approach not only positively transforms young men s lives; it transforms the work of youthserving professionals. The Campus Strength Program. MCSR has racked up thousands of frequent flyer miles delivering our programming to college men s groups, Greeks, athletes, residence hall staff, and higher education students of all kinds. Building on more than a decade of work with a diversity of schools, we are taking our model to universities around the country. The Campus Strength Program provides campuses with tools to develop effective, replicable programming, to build the leadership skills of student organizers, and to mobilize faculty, administration, and other allies. Participants in the Campus Strength Program also become part of a diverse countrywide network, ranging from large state colleges like North Carolina State University to smaller private institutions like Georgetown University.

Men Can Stop Rape, Inc. www.mencanstoprape.org